Just read Dave Pimm's (Solveig Anderson) latest post on his blog.
You know, when I first joined Litopia, I thought I knew a lot. I did know some things, but there were other things I didn't know about. Solvey says he's indebted to Peter Cox, and I can echo that. Things like going with your gut feeling (which I can say I did, but was never sure if I was right to) and planning - something which I never did, except for a flurry of notes before writing my next chapter. I don't do anything without planning now. My writing now is a positive testament to that, but getting published is another matter.
Let me just say, however, with a great deal of remorse and regret, that my exit from Litopia was rather spectacular, when I championed another member's complaint, which escalated into a rather unseemly argument with me refusing to back down over the level and number of critiques passing as reviews of members' work. The site is now doing what it should have been doing, I believe, but that's not even remotely down to me: more down to the law of supply and demand being allowed to work more naturally. When I think of past disagreements now, and there have been a few, I cringe! I've been part of a few workshops/forums, and not just online but non-internet places. I've helped a lot of people and they've helped me. I've written a full length story and lots of short stories as well as poems, so I have more than paid my dues with respect to 'becoming' a writer. My thoughts were, and are, valid. But I could feel Litopia was going downhill, and after all the hard work done in getting Litopia more active, I wasn't going to stand idle as the site slowly became passive again. Which it was. The success of the site came after I left. I was a lowly chargehand there, so I'm claiming nothing other than 'I told you so'. But I loved the place and still refer people to Litopia when they say they want to learn more about writing. I refer them to Critters, too, as both places have lots to offer.
But I'm not a stranger to arguments online - some things only happen after the air has been cleared - but I've always maintained that I'm brave, perhaps not reticent or politically expedient. The quote 'discretion is the better part of valour' will never apply to me, thank god! Solvey and Richard Howse remain friends from my days at Litopia, something which I class as the most important thing that has happened after my days there.
But here's a curiosity: solvey mentioned The Lord Of The Rings. I did a huge amount of research involving future readers of a similarly-written fantasy. The fantasy wot I wrote! The overwhelming conclusion I reached was that readers wanted a new Tolkien. No matter which way I looked at the answers people gave - the vast majority complained about the lack of Tolkienesque writing. They wanted more, and he was dead.
Now, I can be accused of being a Tolkien copycat. I actually was accused and I blasted back in no uncertain terms. But there was a reason for writing in the manner I chose: history.
Consider these: Ivanhoe, Great Expectations, The Lord Of The Rings. All written in a similar way, modified naturally by the times in which they were written. But, to me, all three could have been written by the same writer.
So what is wrong with writing like Tolkien? He wrote like Dickens, who wrote like Sir Walter Scott. A rhetorical question, as there is no answer that maybe makes sense. Millions of readers can't find the new Tolkien/Dickens/Scott, because he/she won't be published in the modern day. Unless the story fits the picture of this modern time. It comes back to my initial, and still only, reason that makes sense to me: the story that links the chain of these three greats must be a great one. A modern one. It hasn't happened yet. The story, that is. The story, the story, the story. With great people in it. I am trying to write it. Early indications from my wonderful readers are that I'm not far off - I think...
Now, what I'm rambling on about is this: what if The Lord Of The Rings is echoed in solvey's Margrave series. And Dickens' characters came alive there, and Ivanhoe rode through it. Could this be allowed? Tell you what, they wouldn't half sell!!!! (Erm, they already do Ed.)
Good cider, this Stella Artois...
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3 comments:
Thing is Es: I've met loads of newbie writers over the years and every last one of them talks crap. Most recently, I had a guy for interview - I blogged about the meeting - who had won some writing contest. And I'll tell you, that can be such a damaging thing for a newbie writer. He chose to apply his jellied piecemeal knowledge to one of my designs, and so I decided to speak with him as though he were a proper writer, which means I referred to exposition, deus ex machina, and a whole bunch of stuff that allows writers to converse effectively and efficiently with one another. I'm pretty sure the guy was lost the moment I said 'exposition'. His argument was lame, to the point that, if he really approaches writing that way, he's thoroughly screwed.
And here's the rub: that's how we learn to write. We're all naive and foolish at the beginning. We all learn some stuff and cling to that stuff as though it were a splinter of the Titanic's bow. I'm sure you remember Miss Snark, and how I found her crits immoral. Newbie writers are fools, and most of them will never transcend that; however, some of those fools will listen and learn and deserve encouragement - they'll take a thousand beatings and come out the other side with something good. Some of those fools go on to write best-sellers.
So no beating up on yourself; you've nothing behind you that any decent writer wouldn't recognise and empathise with.
I remember something else Peter said. When he was asked 'What do you look for?' he replied 'A good story told well.' The good story's the easy (-ish) part; the well-telling takes a life-time to learn.
Most 'how to write' books advise the unpublished writer to begin with two or three characters. To pull off any more than that, you need to be able to control exposition and interactions such that they don't bog down the narrative. And that's one heck of a task - a task which becomes exponentially harder with every new character.
Anyhoo, how's the ms coming along? You've been very quiet...
A top comment, Solvey!
I've been trying to show Becca, a very new writer at 23, how to begin her first story. She is no longer married and is now with child - twins, actually - and has gone back home to Burton with her boyfriend. It's been great, and we'll keep in touch, but until she puts pen to paper, all of the terminology will seem like gobbledegook. It'll happen; time will see to that.
The ms is going well. I'm doing a Hemingway and have set it down after writing a new timeline of immediate events. I'm working a bit more than vaguely on further books within this tale. The power of thought focusing on one area can often have the effect of producing more streams of extra thought, pulling you into places you never thought existed. It's a dark tale that needs conscious linking to lighter moments. Loads of stuff I haven't touched on yet still waiting in my notes, so, as Noel the Ultimate Proofreader said: you've set yourself one hell of a task, Peter! Will be months before I can show you a coherent first half of the tale.
I have ideas for at least two new separate stories, so my literary future hails to a point some place hither!
I do feel that there are most good stories don't hit the heights because the storytelling isn't good enough. I'm known as a storyteller, so I have to be careful that I have thought up a good story. That's why I keep banging on about 'the story'. I know I can write it, just gotta make sure it's worth writing about.
But enough about me lol Are you writing much outside of your brilliant world of games? It must be difficult. But then again, creativity breeds creativity, so I guess you probably are. Jeez, I fully expect you to be as successful a writer as you are a games creator. Inevitable, I reckon!
I'll pass that on to Becca. I might even take a peek myself! What you're doing doesn't sound like work, so it's gotta be good. Come to think of it, my stuff isn't like work, either! Penning that last line will feel like such a relief, as it'll mean I've got the rest of it right... I hope...
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